life

Following an energy-sapping hike through sublime Utah scenery, a conversational impasse is broken by talk of Mormons and mass shootings. A strange choice for small talk? As the author discovers, everything comes down to timing.

Even a visitor with no interest in street art might find that a tour of Banksy’s Bristol leaves an indelible mark.

The Mexican state of Guerrero offers iconic beaches, culinary delights and a pleasing climate. But for tourism promoters trying to sell it as a dream destination it has one major hitch – a frighteningly high crime rate.

A wee dram at the Laphroaig distillery in the Scottish Hebrides turns into an invocation of a whisky-loving soul.

While old-style public housing apartment blocks conjure fond memories of the ‘real’ Hong Kong, a flawed system has seen them unable to keep up with demand, leading to near-intolerable living conditions for many tenants.

When it comes to making holiday plans, some are happier abandoning terra firma and giving in to the pull of the ocean.

A visit to Singapore to see a theatrical version of Orwell’s 1984 leads to deeper insight beign found in an esteemed Indian couple’s poetic relationship.

Travelling north from California to Oregon on the Coast Starlight rail line, the traveller observes the fade of Los Angeles’ pressing population until the forests part for a moment’s glimpse of smalltown USA.

At the KidZania labour-themed fun park in Singapore, children earn pretend money working pretend jobs as insurance agents or pharmacists, while their parents stand in depressingly familiar queues.